Mandel



s- 18, 1959 H. MANDEL I 2,899,774

ANIMATED TOY BOXER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Juiy 19, 1956 INVENTOR. HENRI MAN DEL H. MANDEL ANIMATED TOY BOXER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HENRI MAN DEL 8 ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1959 Filed July 19, 1956 nited States 2,899 774 ANIMATED TOY BOXER Henri Mandel, Bronx, N.Y., assignor of onedralf to Ethel Scott, Bronx, N.Y.

Application July 19, 1956, Serial No. 598,848

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-120) This invention relates to toys, and more particularly has reference to a toy simulating a pugilist in appearance and action.

Summarized briefly, the invention includes an articulated toy figure, having an animating structure therein. The structure includes a spring motor, and a motiontranslating linkage extends from the motor, adapted to impart motion to the arms of the figure, simulating the throwing of punches. The operation of the motor, and of the motion-translating linkage, is adapted to impart alternate expansion and contraction to a spring connected to the legs of the figure in such a manner that the figure appears to be dancing up and down during the throwing of the punches, in a manner similar to the motions of a boxer.

Among important objects of the invention are the following:

To provide a toy figure animated in such a manner as to simulate with considerable faithfulness, and in a manner calculated to assume, the motions of a boxer;

To provide a novel animating means, which will be particularly effective in producing the desired punching and dancing motions to the arms and legs, respectively, of the figure; and

To so design the figure as to permit the same to be manufactured at relatively low cost, considering the improved actions of the same as compared to animated toys previously devised.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a toy formed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the animating means of H the toy, with the body removed except for fragmentary portions of an arm and leg.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the animating assembly per se.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the animating assembly, the arms being shown in their opposite extreme positions in full and dotted lines respectively.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken through the center of Fig. 3 in which the body has been shown fragmentarily, the arm-actuating linkage being shown in its opposite extreme positions in full and dotted lines respectively.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail section on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated generally at .10 is a body or casing simulating in appearance a pugilist, and housed within the body is the animating assembly generally designated '12.

The animating assembly includes a generally rectangu- 7 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 ice lar support'plate 14, disposed in a vertical plane, and to the back surface of the plate there is secured a box-like motor housing 16 (Fig. 3) of vertically elongated, rectangular configuration having at its upper and lower ends ears 17 extended through slots of plate 14 and bent outwardly in opposite directions '(Fig. 2) to secure the housing to the plate;

Within the housing there is provided a spring motor of conventional design, including a spiral spring 18, the inner end of which is fixedly secured to a winding and drive shaft 20. Also secured to shaft 20 is a large gear 22 (see Fig. 5) meshing with a pinion 24 secured to a jack shaft 26 journalled in the housing and support plate. Integral with pinion 24 is a gear 28 meshing with a pinion 30 secured to the shaft of a crank 34 that projects rearwardly from housing 16.

The outer end of the spring is anchored to the housing 16, and accordingly, on rotation of a key 32 in one direction, the spring will be wound so that when the key is removed, winding shaft 20 will rotate to drive the crank 34. The key 32 is extendible through an opening 33 formed in the forward portion of body 10 (see Fig. 1), said key having a noncircular recess receiving the correspondingly shaped forward end of the winding shaft.

Referring now to Figs. 3-5, crank 34 is loosely con nected at its rear end to the lower end of a link 36, the upper end of which has a loose pivotal connection to a crank 38, the ends of which are journalled in upwardly projecting, laterally spaced ears 40 formed upon the upper end of the support plate. Crank 38, outwardly from cars 40, is formed at its ends with upwardly projecting extensions 42 of inverted U shape.

Projecting from opposite sides of the support plate are elongated arms 44, 46. These lie in a common horizontal plane, although this is not absolutely essential and may, in fact, be changed according to the desires of the manufacturer. Ann 44 is preferably so shaped that the free end thereof is spaced forwardly from the free end of arm 46, in one p osition of the arms as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Thus, the boxer appears to be holding arm 46 in position such as to provide a guard against punches thrown by an imaginary opponent, while arm 44 is ex tended forwardly somewhat so as to simulate the arm with which the boxer is leading.

The arms are of approximately C-shaped configuration, and at their inner ends are integrally formed with vertically disposed portions 48, 50 respectively journalled in vertically spaced ears provided at opposite sides of plate14. The portions 48, 50, at theirupper ends, merge into laterally projecting fingers 52, 54, both extending in the same direction and loosely received in the respective extensions 42 of crank 38.

Due to the arrangement illustrated, it will be seen that on operation of the motor, rotary motion of shaft 34 is translated into oscillation of the arms 44, 46 in a horizontal plane about the axes defined by their portions 48, 50, respectively. This results from the fact that as crank 34 rotates, link 36 moves upwardly and downwardly between the full and dotted line positions of Fig. 5. This results in oscillation of crank 38 about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the animating structure, through slightly less than ninety degrees as shown by the full and dotted lines of Fig. 5. Oscillation of the extensions 42 is thus caused, and these rock each of the portions 48, 50 in opposite directions, to impart the lateral swinging movement to the arms 44, 46.

A contractile spring 56 (Fig. 3) is hooked at one end to one side of plate 14 as at 58. At its other end, the spring has an eye 60 loosely receiving the cranked midlength portion 62 of a length of wire journalled beyond opposite ends of the cranked portion in openings formed in a depending extension 64 of plate 14. The end portions of the wire are extended downwardly in diverging relation to provide legs 66 of the animating structure.

Considering now {the casing or body, this is formed in complementary -halves or sections 70, '72 each so shaped as to cooperate with the other section, when the sections are connected together, in simulating the head and body of the boxer.

The arm portions 74, 76 of the body are loosely, pivotally connected to the respective sections 70, 72 in the manner shown in Fig. 6. There is here shown the arm portion 76, but it will be understood that the arm portion 74 will be similarly attached to the body. In the upper end of arm portion .76 there is formed an inwardl y facing recess 78. Embedded in the ,arm portion and projecting into the recess ,is a hook element 80, loosely engaged with a hook element 82 embedded 'in the adjacent Wall of the body section 7-2.

The arm 46 of the animating means ,12extends through a slot-like opening 81 formed ,in the wall of section 72 below hook 82, with the arm being embedded in the arm portion 76 so as to be swung back and forth about its pivot 82 when the motor is in operation.

Molded about the respective legs .66 are leg portions 83, 84 which are formed at their upper ends (see Fig. 2) with inwardly extending portions terminating adjacent the depending extension of plate 1.4. Concealing the connection of the leg portions 83, 84 to the animating means are the boxers trunks 79, which can be of fabric, rather than of a molded material.

In operation of the device, when the arms 74, 76 are oscillated in oppositely directed horizontal directions, simulating the throwing of punches, the entire body is given slight vibratory motion about its central axis of symmetry. This motion is caused by the greater kinetic energy imparted to arm 74 than to arm .76. since arm 74 travels a longer arcuate path in the same time and thus at greater speed than does arm 76, in their oppositely directed motions. Each time the arms reverse their directions of motion, an arcuately directed centrifugal force due to greater inertia of arm 74 tends to turn the body on its vertical axis. It will be noted that the body is rockably mounted on the upper horizontal bent portions of legs 66, whose common crank portion 62 is connected to spring 56. The spring yieldably tends to resist the rocking motions of .the body with respect to the legs. The tendency of the .body to turn on the legs due to the motions .of the arms is thus translated into a swinging movement of the leg portions .83, 84 so that the boxer appears .to be swaying, swinging, or rocking on his legs while fighting his imaginary opponent.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that 4. I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patcut is:

1. An animated toy figure comprising a hollow body including arm and leg portions, and an animating assembly within the body including a motor having a shaft, a motion-translating linkage driven 'by the motor, arms mounted on said assembly for oscillating movement, said linkage being connected between the shaft and said arms and being adapted to convert rotary motion of the shaft into oscillating motion of the arms, and legs swingably mounted on said assembly, the arm and leg portions encasing the arms and legs respectively of said assembly, said arms being extended forwardly from the body and being oppositely curved, the arms lying in horizontal planes and having vertically extending shaft portions for the oscillation .of the arms about vertical parallel axes.

2. An animated toy figure comprising a hollow body including arm and leg portions, and an animating assembly within the body including a motor having a shaft, a motion-translating linkage driven by the motor, arms mounted on said assembly for oscillating movement, said linkage being connected between the shaft and said arms and being adapted to convert rotary motion of the shaft into oscillating motion of the arms, and legs swingably mounted on said assembly, the arm and leg portions encasing the arms and legs respectively ofsaid assembly, said assembly furtherincludi lg a crank rigid at its ends with the respective legs and journalled for oscillating movement in the assembly, and a contractile spring on said assembly connected tosa'id crank, whereby, on operation of the motor, to alternately expand and contract responsive to vibration of the body by the motor for oscillating the crank, whereby to impart vibratory motion to the respective legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 263,437 Slocum Aug. ,29, 1882 1,332,732 Lizzi Mar. 2, 1920 1,531,894 Aldon Mar. 31, 1925 1,812,931 Chester July 7, 193-1 2,030,486 Weiss Feb. 11, 1936 2,155,002 Villemejane Apr. 18, 1939 2,288,371 Rothshild June 30, 1942 2,538,744 Berry Jan. 23, 1951 2,644,273 Romano July 7, 1953 2,741,870 Lang Apr. 17, 1956 

